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christmas
Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 49
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 Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 7:25 pm Post subject: getting a work permit |
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I am interested in accepting a job at an international school in Bangkok.
Can I work in Thailand and get a work permit with just a BA in English with a TESOL or do I need a teaching certificate from my country?? I have my degree apostiled but I am not sure what else is needed and how long it will take for the Thai government to do the paper work. How much of a night mare is it? |
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tttompatz
Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
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| Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 5:53 am Post subject: Re: getting a work permit |
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| christmas wrote: |
I am interested in accepting a job at an international school in Bangkok.
Can I work in Thailand and get a work permit with just a BA in English with a TESOL or do I need a teaching certificate from my country?? I have my degree apostiled but I am not sure what else is needed and how long it will take for the Thai government to do the paper work. How much of a night mare is it? |
For a visa and work permit you only need the bachelor's degree.
Thailand is NOT a signatory to the apostille treaty so you don't need an apostille.
Without home country certification as a teacher you won't be getting a job at a decent "international" school.
If you are here in late April it will be easy to get a job in a regular school or language academy.
Bring your original degree, university issued transcripts and CBC.
Fly in on a 60-day, double entry tourist visa and look for work.
You can change your visa status from tourist to non-b IN the country after you find work. The work permit will follow shortly after that (the employer has to apply for it).
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MaiPenRai
Joined: 17 Jan 2006
Posts: 390
Location: BKK
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| Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 2:50 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| For a visa and work permit you only need the bachelor's degree. |
Yes and No.
Technically every teacher is required to have a Thai license but foreign teachers are given a 2 year waiver for this requirement. This can, but is not always, able to be renewed/extended. Technically you are only allowed one 2 year waiver (but TIT and many schools/employers can get around this). If you have a home country license or even just a B.Ed, they will usually give you the THai license after you have completed the ridiculous Thai Culture Course.
| Quote: |
| Bring your original degree, university issued transcripts and CBC. |
Yes. Good idea to get a letter from your Uni confirming/attesting your graduation with dates and name of degree. |
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ldragon
Joined: 01 Jan 2011
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 4:36 pm Post subject: Re: getting a work permit |
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| tttompatz wrote: |
| christmas wrote: |
I am interested in accepting a job at an international school in Bangkok.
Can I work in Thailand and get a work permit with just a BA in English with a TESOL or do I need a teaching certificate from my country?? I have my degree apostiled but I am not sure what else is needed and how long it will take for the Thai government to do the paper work. How much of a night mare is it? |
For a visa and work permit you only need the bachelor's degree.
Thailand is NOT a signatory to the apostille treaty so you don't need an apostille.
Without home country certification as a teacher you won't be getting a job at a decent "international" school.
If you are here in late April it will be easy to get a job in a regular school or language academy.
Bring your original degree, university issued transcripts and CBC.
Fly in on a 60-day, double entry tourist visa and look for work.
You can change your visa status from tourist to non-b IN the country after you find work. The work permit will follow shortly after that (the employer has to apply for it).
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I just read this... Are you sure one doesn't need a TEFL to teach English in Thailand? Just a BA? |
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dudeteacher
Joined: 27 Feb 2010
Posts: 173
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| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 8:14 pm Post subject: |
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Can you actually work while the employer is applying for the work visa?
How long does the application take?
Dude |
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tttompatz
Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
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| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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| dudeteacher wrote: |
Can you actually work while the employer is applying for the work visa?
How long does the application take?
Dude |
You cannot legally work without a non-b and permission from the labor office.
A change of status from tourist to non-b, if you qualify and have the correct documents in hand, takes about 60 minutes at the main immigration office in BKK.
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tttompatz
Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
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| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 10:22 pm Post subject: Re: getting a work permit |
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| ldragon wrote: |
| I just read this... Are you sure one doesn't need a TEFL to teach English in Thailand? Just a BA? |
Bachelors degree from an accredited university and an anglophone passport (or a TOEIC score over 600 if your passport is not from one of the 5 main anglophone countries).
A TEFL is NOT a requirement for the non-b, WP or TCT provisional teaching permit.
If you have been teaching for more than 2 years the Thai Culture Course IS a requirement for the provisional teaching permit.
If you have been teaching for more than 4 then a TCT teacher's license is required.
I have 30 foreign staff who do not hold TEFL certs. and none of them had a problem getting a renewal or new visa/wp over a TEFL course.
I had 2 who did have problems since they have already had 2 provisional teaching permits and were NOT granted a 3rd due to not completing the teacher's licensing requirements.
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dudeteacher
Joined: 27 Feb 2010
Posts: 173
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| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 11:42 pm Post subject: |
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| tttompatz wrote: |
| dudeteacher wrote: |
Can you actually work while the employer is applying for the work visa?
How long does the application take?
Dude |
You cannot legally work without a non-b and permission from the labor office.
A change of status from tourist to non-b, if you qualify and have the correct documents in hand, takes about 60 minutes at the main immigration office in BKK.
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That's amazingly quick. |
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ldragon
Joined: 01 Jan 2011
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 11:05 am Post subject: Re: getting a work permit |
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| tttompatz wrote: |
| ldragon wrote: |
| I just read this... Are you sure one doesn't need a TEFL to teach English in Thailand? Just a BA? |
Bachelors degree from an accredited university and an anglophone passport (or a TOEIC score over 600 if your passport is not from one of the 5 main anglophone countries).
A TEFL is NOT a requirement for the non-b, WP or TCT provisional teaching permit.
If you have been teaching for more than 2 years the Thai Culture Course IS a requirement for the provisional teaching permit.
If you have been teaching for more than 4 then a TCT teacher's license is required.
I have 30 foreign staff who do not hold TEFL certs. and none of them had a problem getting a renewal or new visa/wp over a TEFL course.
I had 2 who did have problems since they have already had 2 provisional teaching permits and were NOT granted a 3rd due to not completing the teacher's licensing requirements.
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How sure are you about this? Have any of your teachers w/out TEFL received a WP since October 2012? I was told today by a second source that the law changed last October and all ESL teachers will be required to possess a BA and a TEFL, going forward. |
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tttompatz
Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
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| Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 7:22 pm Post subject: Re: getting a work permit |
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| ldragon wrote: |
| tttompatz wrote: |
| ldragon wrote: |
| I just read this... Are you sure one doesn't need a TEFL to teach English in Thailand? Just a BA? |
Bachelors degree from an accredited university and an anglophone passport (or a TOEIC score over 600 if your passport is not from one of the 5 main anglophone countries).
A TEFL is NOT a requirement for the non-b, WP or TCT provisional teaching permit.
If you have been teaching for more than 2 years the Thai Culture Course IS a requirement for the provisional teaching permit.
If you have been teaching for more than 4 then a TCT teacher's license is required.
I have 30 foreign staff who do not hold TEFL certs. and none of them had a problem getting a renewal or new visa/wp over a TEFL course.
I had 2 who did have problems since they have already had 2 provisional teaching permits and were NOT granted a 3rd due to not completing the teacher's licensing requirements.
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How sure are you about this? Have any of your teachers w/out TEFL received a WP since October 2012? I was told today by a second source that the law changed last October and all ESL teachers will be required to possess a BA and a TEFL, going forward. |
Yes. I have hired 2 new teachers since Dec and both have changed their status to non-b at immigration in BKK and both have received WPs.
I hired 3 to begin the term in Nov and they also have changed their status to non-b and have received WPs.
I had 2 who did have problems since they have previously had 2 provisional teaching permits and were NOT granted a 3rd due to not completing the teacher's licensing requirements. They were unable to obtain the WP due to not having a current provisional teachers permit.
Are you sure they said/meant TEFL and not TOEFL / TOEIC ? (a requirement for anyone who does not hold a passport from one of: UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia or NZ.
Perhaps they meant the Thai Culture course (a requirement for anyone who has been teaching for more than 2 years).
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ldragon
Joined: 01 Jan 2011
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 9:03 am Post subject: |
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| Yeh, they were pretty specific about TEFL. I had a long conversation about it w/ both sources. They both said the exact same thing: "It's a new law that was passed last October." How can I confirm this? I don't want to get a TEFL if I don't have to... |
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Javelin of Radiance
Joined: 01 Jul 2009
Posts: 1187
Location: The West
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| Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 9:40 am Post subject: |
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| ldragon wrote: |
| Yeh, they were pretty specific about TEFL. I had a long conversation about it w/ both sources. They both said the exact same thing: "It's a new law that was passed last October." How can I confirm this? I don't want to get a TEFL if I don't have to... |
This criticism is not aimed at you personally, because many others feel the same way, but what you've basically just said is "I don't want to get even the most rock bottom of qualifications for the job unless I absolutely have to." Only one of the reasons the ESL industry is in the state it is. |
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ldragon
Joined: 01 Jan 2011
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 11:46 am Post subject: |
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| Javelin of Radiance wrote: |
| ldragon wrote: |
| Yeh, they were pretty specific about TEFL. I had a long conversation about it w/ both sources. They both said the exact same thing: "It's a new law that was passed last October." How can I confirm this? I don't want to get a TEFL if I don't have to... |
This criticism is not aimed at you personally, because many others feel the same way, but what you've basically just said is "I don't want to get even the most rock bottom of qualifications for the job unless I absolutely have to." Only one of the reasons the ESL industry is in the state it is. |
Fair enough. But the reason I don't want to take a month off and invest a month's salary in getting a TEFL is b/c most people that have them say they didn't learn anything from the course. And many of them are bad teachers too. That's not aimed at you personally... The courses are unregulated. They're not accredited in any way. It's my understanding a small percentage of the people here got theirs at University of Khao San. They're the real reason the industry is in the state it is. |
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